


Cuddles and Kisses of Kinsmanship

by commander_hot_pants



Category: Valor Series - Tanya Huff
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 05:42:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9643058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commander_hot_pants/pseuds/commander_hot_pants
Summary: "She'd shared a bed with Torin because she'd shared a past with Torin"Sometimes the best way to chase away a bad night is in the arms of someone who really understands and for Torin that often came by way of Binti, a fellow marine who had been there through so much. This particular night, the thoughts were easy to chase off but opened a door to something new... [Ancient Peace timeline]





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ApocalypseThen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApocalypseThen/gifts).



> I was thrilled when I got ApocalypseThen in the Valor fic exchange! I know its not exactly what you requested, but after so many Binti/Torin conversations I had to write it. Enjoy~ 
> 
> (sorry for any errors, I didnt get a chance to have anyone else glance at it)
> 
> Note that this fic takes place around the time of Ancient Peace and contains spoilers for the rest of the series.

"Eleven days?" Torin stared at Alamber as he casually stuffed cheese snacks into his mouth one by one. "She trapped you for eleven days?"

"Yeah." He laughed. It wasn't funny. Everyone grew silent as he recalled the time his _vantru_ had locked him in a bathroom for eleven days as a punishment. He said he didn't remember what he'd done, adding that was probably why she did it again a week later. He laughed even harder when he talked about how touch deprivation had caused him to hallucinate, no one joined him.

Torin left while he was still mid-story and Binti had to wonder if she was the only one that saw the real anger in her eyes. Later when she joined her in the rec room, Torin was pounding the absolute shit out of a punch plate.

"He wasn't even old enough to join the confederation," She grunted after the plate gave way, unwrapping her hands which had turned red and swollen under the tape, "who the hell does that to a kid." Sometimes Binti wondered if she should tell Torin the other things Alamber had murmured in bed, after the lights were out and his body was cradled into hers. The other stories he laughed through that churned her stomach and made her old him extra tight.

If it affected the objective, that's when she'd share it.

That night Alamber slept with the Krai, they ran a little hotter than humans and Binti thought that might have something to do with it. The extra heat and eight arms wrapping around him tightly, it was a different comfort from her. And that was alright.

Except even though Alamber just barely fit in the bunk with her and even though his skin always felt cold to the touch and sometimes his freezing fingers found their way to very sensitive areas in the middle of the night, Binti found herself struggling to get comfortable alone.

She was staring up at the ceiling when she heard it. A quiet creek of bare feet on the deck and a silhouette standing at the hatch. Torin was more than capable of moving silently if she wanted, so if Binti was hearing her it was because she wanted to be heard. Torin knew it too, which meant she was now aware that Binti was aware that she had intended to be heard.

After a minutes pause Torin began to turn away, "Hey, " Binti called, "come on." At the younger woman's beckon, Torin's shoulders relaxed and a second later she crawled under the covers, mostly bare bodies wrapped closely to each other. Between time served in the military and time spent in close quarters on the Promise, Binti never saw much point to wear anything more than panties to bed. Torin on the other hand was wearing a t-shirt, likely borrowed from Craig if the slightly metallic musk was anything to go by.

Torin nuzzled her face into the crook of her neck- and yes it was a nuzzle, Gunnery Sergeants weren’t capable of nuzzling but occasionally Torin was. It told of the severity of the situation, the distress she was internalizing. She wondered if Alamber's story was still haunting the brunette as much as it was her.

"You wanna talk?" She finally asked, feeling a warm hand rubbing up and down her back rhythmically. Torin considered it for a long time.

"I'm trying to convince Craig to invest in a shower," Small talk, easy to digest small talk, "a real shower. Decontamination is fine, but nothing's as good after a hard battle as a real water shower."

"What did he say to that?"

"He had some borderline di'Taykan things to say about it." That made Binti chuckle.

"They are fans of showers." She agreed as a hand knit itself into the curly hair at the base of her skull, then released to trace the muscles of her neck and shoulder. "Bigger fan of baths though, I'm inclined to agree." Binti's hand crawled up under the t-shirt to cup her waist and she felt her relax to the contact.

"Hmm. I don't remember the last time I had an actual bath."

"Year and half ago or so," Binti started hesitantly, "I told Mysho hadn’t taken a bath since I was a kid. Sure as shit she'd found a tub big enough for both of us the minute we hit station. Most relaxing night of my life." Mysho's wandering hands had also improved that night but Torin didn't need to know about that.

"You and Mysho, huh?"

"Once and awhile, never on duty." Actually, once on duty, twice if a stake out counted, but Torin didn't need to know that either. "I always thought she had the nicest way of speaking."

"Yeah, she did."

"Yeah." Binti traced the long indent of Torins spine with two fingers. "Haysole did too." For a second Torin tensed, his death had hit her - hit them both- harder than most.

"You ever spent a night with him?"

"Cards on the table," She smiled, "that guy never stayed still long enough for me to get the chance. Every time we hit station he was either picking up extra maintenance or already in bed with someone." She felt rather than heard Torin laugh. A silence settled upon them for several minutes and Binti thought the other woman might have fallen asleep.

"I slept with Jarret once." Binti was grateful for the darkness so she didn't have to contain her reaction. "Before he was- before I knew he was second lieutenant. He was kind enough to keep it to himself."

"I had no idea you were so liberal, Gunny."

"I have my moments."

"You know," Binti rolled onto her back, Torin moving with the motion against her side, "I wish I had slept with every damned di'Taykan in Sh'quo. Not a day goes by I don't think about them. And knowing I got to share that with Mysho? Well, it makes it a little easier to digest I guess. Di'Taykan just understand affection on a whole other level, you know? They're so transparent."

"Not sure I understand."

"It's just, honest affection," She sighed, "like sex with each other didn't mean anything more than just 'I really care about you'." Torin sat up, the low light from beyond the hatch just enough to outline her pale shoulder. Then suddenly the older woman's mouth was on hers.  

Torin kissed like whiskey. Warm and comforting, with a bite that could practically knock her out if she didn't brace against it. She favored the bottom lip, gently suckling and nipping. It was a slow burn started almost innocent, then grew intense enough Binti was pushing back for air. Torin dived into her neck again, this time not to nuzzle but to lick and bite the sensitive skin under her jaw.

Torin climbed on top of her, one hand pressing down on her shoulder and the other hand tracing a dangerously slow path down her waist. Binti grabbed the back of her head to keep track of her as Torin completely dominated the kiss, leaving almost no room to breath.

She could feel Torin's thigh pressing against her clit in a way that could not possibly be accidental. But with a tongue lapping against her lips begging for access, Binti didn't have the excess brain power to analyze the rhythm to which she was being stimulated.

Binti had wanted Torin since the moment she was assigned to her squad, wanted to feel her body in this context. To her delight, Torin let her push her t-shirt up and over her head, tossing it somewhere near the hatch. She was even more firm then Binti had expected, the muscles of her abdomen and side were taught and for a second Binti felt shame that she had not kept her body up to the same standard as Torin had.

Pale fingers had reached the indent of Binti's hip, pressing down into the skin and under the panties. Just as the contact drew another moan from her, Torin was sitting up, head tilted.  They both stilled for a moment, though Binti wasn't sure why.

"Craig?" Torin finally called out. A heavy body leaned into view from the hatch, the light there just enough to silhouette him

"Didn't mean to interrupt," He didn't _sound_ upset, maybe a little amused, "I was just checking to see where you went." Torin sat up, straddling Binti's hips in a way that made both women stifle sighs.

"I should be getting back to bed." She cleared her throat, swinging one leg at a time off of her to stand. She stretched, hips circling in a way that almost made Binti reach out. "Thanks for helping clear my mind." She bent and picked up the discarded t-shirt as she left.  

It took several long breaths to calm herself, Binti's heart still pounding like a jackhammer. It had happened so fast that she wasn't completely convinced it wasn't a dream, maybe a hallucination brought on by over exposure to di'Taykan pheromones.

"Mashona." She hadn't even heard Torin approaching back, but she was standing at the hatch again, shirt still bundled up in her hands. "Would you like to come?"

Whether or not Torin had intended it as a double entendre it brought her to her feet in an instant, "I sure do, Gunny."


End file.
